Roll pressure adjuster for wringers



Aug. 13, 1946. CQNTERMAN 2,405,641

ROLL PRESSURE ADJUSTER FOR WRING'ERS Filed July 51, 1943 I Patented Aug.13, 1946 ROLL PRESSURE ADJUSTER FOB- WRINGERS Fred A. Conterman,Jamestown, N. Y., assignor to Jamestown Metal Equipment Company, Inc.,Jamestown, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 31, 1943,Serial No. 496,900

This invention relates to an improvement in washing machine wringers andparticularly to a roll pressure adjuster.

It is common practice to provide wringers with manually operableadjusters by which to vary the roll pressure through adjustment of thepressure of a roll spring. However, it is considered advantageous to theoperator of a wringer to be able to determine the roll pressure bestsuited for a given type of clothes without the need of running a trialpiece through therolls. To this end, the present invention has beendeveloped and, in addition to providing necessary roll pressureadjusting means, provides, through an index structure, visual markingsby which an operator may determine the roll pressure for which theadjuster has been set.

It is an object and advantage of the present invention to provide arolladjuster that is freely operable, regardless of the roll pressure towhich the adjuster has been previously set. It is also an object of theinvention to provide an adjuster that discloses to the wringer operatorthe extent of roll pressure through suitable markings at any givenposition of adjustment. It is also an object of the invention to providea roll pressure adjuster which may be changed from one marking toanother and readily indicate to the operator, without trial, that theroll pressure is as desired for the type of clothes to be passed throughthe wringer.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be more fullyunderstood from a consideration of the following specification, taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawing; and in which Fig. 1 is afragmentary vertical sectional view of the top portion of a wringer inwhich one form of the invention is embodied;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the top portion of. awringer, parts being broken away to disclose certain structural details;and

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 33of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, the reference numeral I is employed togenerally designate a wringer in which one form of the invention isembodied. The wringer comprises a body portion H and a removable coverl2. For convenience of illustration, only that portion of the wringer isshown in the drawing that concerns the invention, and such disclosureincludes an upper roll 13 mounted in end bearings M, these bearingsbeing located in channel guides l 6. The

3 Claims. (Cl. 68-262) upper surface of each heatin I4 is engaged by anend portion I! of a roll spring [8.

Directly over the central portion of the spring l8 the cover may beformed with a reinforced portion, such as indicated at l 9, and thisportion provided with an opening 2|, the inner end of which iscounterbored, as at 22. A substantially circular adjusting knob 23 islocated exteriorly of the cover l2. This knob, as shown, is hollow andincludes diametrically opposite apertures 24. Within the knob is acentered fixed hub 26 that is adapted to receive an internally threadedsleeve 21. The sleeve 21 is secured against rotation and displacementwith respect to the hub in any suitable manner, as by a set screw 28.The lower end of this sleeve i formed with an annular rim or flange 29.

The central portion of the spring I8 is enclosed by a pair of straps 3|that include abutting, upstanding flanges 32. These flanges are formedwith concentric, transverse openings through which a, horizontallydisposed rod 33 projects. A threaded shaft 34 projects into the sleeve21. This shaft, at its lower end, terminates in a forklike portionconsisting of a pair of spaced apart, parallel arms 36. The lower end ofeach of these arms is arcuate, the lowermost portion of the arccontacting horizontal portions of the straps 3i. Concentric openingsin'the arms 36 are of a size to receive rod 33. The rod is preventedfrom axial displacement with respect to straps 3| and arms 36 in anysuitable manner, as by a struckup portion 31 and cotter pin 38. Adjacentthe counterbored area of the reinforced portion I9, the cover includes apair of depending arms 39 These arms are spaced to receive an end of therod 33, and serve as a guide for the rod during use of the adjuster.

' The other end M of the rod 33 may be of reduced diameter to mount oneend. of an indexing pin 42. This pin projects upwardly through asuitable opening in the reinforced portion IQ of the cover into theinterior of the knob 23. The pin is provided with suitable indexmarkings, such as indicated at .43, these markings being visible throughone or the other aperture 24 in the rim of the knob.

In assembling the structure, a bearing washer 44 is seated in thecounterbored area 22 prior to projecting the sleeve 21 through theopening 2|. When the sleeve has been properly installed, the rim orflange 29 thereof abuts washer 44. A further bearing washer 46 ismounted on the sleeve 21' and rests upon the upper surfaceof thereinforced portion lil. When the interior parts of the structure havebeen assembled, the knob 23 is mounted by enclosing the upper portion ofthe of t e spring l8 and thus increasethe. pressurev of t 6 spring endsI! on the bearings M of the;

upp r wringer roll I3.

Since the top roll is in contact with the lower roll (not shown),pressure 7 applied in this manner will 'bedirectly'trans mitted to therolls. It will, of" course, be appre-' ciated that as the knob isrotated in a direction to feed the shaft 34 downwardly of the sleeve21',

pin 42 will also move downwardly and thus another marking 43 will be.made visible through one of the apertures 24. For example, if it isdesired to wring out clotheshaving inconsequential bulk, or to wring outheavier clothes to, agreater degree of dryness, the knob 23 is rotateduntil the marking 3is .visible through one of the apertures 24. If alesser degree of 'pressure of the rolls is desired, reverse rotation of.the knob 23,- will bring themarking 2 'or="1 into registry-withone ofthe openings 24. .It will be clearly understood that a wringeroperatormay repeatedly obtain the same degree of? roll pressure by rotating theknob 23 in one direction'or the other until the desiredmarking,registers with one of the openings 24.

Although applicant has shown and described his invention in itsapplication to one. type of wringer, it will be understood thatvariations of the structure maybe made and are contemplated inthe-application of the structure to other wringers insofar as suchvariations are within the spirit and scope of the annexed claims.

Having thus set forth my invention what 1 claim as new and for which Idesire protection by Letters Patent is:

1.- En. a-wringer structure having a pair of adjustable rolls and aspring operable to exert a yieldinglpressure on said rolls,an adjustingdevice for said spring comprising a manually rotatable" member mountedexteriorly of said structure and including means preventing displacementfrom a position of close proximity with said structure, a shaft havingthreaded engagement with said member and being axially movable byrotation of said member, said shaft having operative engagement withsaid spring, and means preventing rotation of said shaft during axialmovement thereof, said means mounting an indicator pin in a manner to beaxially movable with and to the same extent said shaft is movable, saidpin being capable of such movement with-respect to said member as togive indication of the extent to which said shaft has actuated said rollpressure spring.

2; Inagwringer structure having a pair of adjustable rolls and a springoperable to exert a yielding pressure on said rolls, an adjusting devicefor said spring comprising a hollow member mounted 8Xi381l01] of saidstructure for manual rotative movement, a shaft having a threaded endengaged with and enclosed, by said member and being axially movable byrotation of said member, said shaft being joined to said spring in amanner to alter the tensionv thereof .upon rotation of said member,andan, indicator pinpjoined to and movable. v.withsaid; shaft, said pinprojecting through said structure into the interior of said member, andmarkings on said pin register-able with an aperture in said memberandserving to indicate theextent of pressure applied tosaid rolls,

3. In a wringer structure having a pair of adjustable rolls and a springoperabl to exerta yielding pressure on said rolls,.an adjusting devicefor said spring comprising a hollow rotatable member located exteriorlyof said structure and havingmeans preventing axial. displacement withrespect to said structure, a non-rotatable shaft projecting into andhaving a threaded end enclosed by said member, said shaft being joinedto saidspring and movable in the. direction, of its length by rotationof said member to alter the pressure of said rolls, and an indicator pinjoined to and movable in therdirection of movement of said shaft,.saidpin projecting into said member and includingv markings adjacent the.upper end registerablewith an aperture in said member to indicate thepressure of said springas applied to said rollsl FRED A. CON'IERMAN.

